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I Get Knocked Down

A long time ago a friend told me whenever she hears the song “Tubthumping,” a horrible little song from the late 1990’s, she thinks of me.

That’s me. I get knocked down, and I get up again.

So what knocked me down this time? The morning before my 63rd birthday I was on my way to the gym when I slipped on black ice and fell down so hard I couldn’t get up. Some good Samaritans came along and waited with me for an ambulance.

After spending an entire day in the emergency room I found out I had a broken ankle. The doctor splinted my leg, handed me crutches, a prescription for pain killers and sent me home.

I was in a huge amount of pain and miserable. I thought breaking my ankle was more than enough drama but then a few days later my husband, my rock and best friend, went to the emergency room with chest pains and ended up having open heart surgery.

That’s when I really fell apart. I had a great big pity party. I was crying and feeling real sorry for myself until I remembered, “I get knocked down and I get up again.” I even listened to that awful song a few times. I remembered how I made it through other hard times and focused on what got me through.

Here are some tips for getting up again.

• Remember other times you’ve been resilient.

• Ask for help. People want to help you. Don’t be bashful about telling them what you need.

• When times are hard let go of perfectionism. Be OK with good enough,

• Keep putting one foot in front of the other.

• Take care of yourself. Eat good food. Rest when you’re tired.

• Focus on what you can do rather than what you can’t do.

• Remember that what you are going through is temporary. Nothing lasts for long.

• Be patient, move slowly and give yourself time to heal.

• Breathe deeply.

• Count your blessings.

• Listen to music you love.

• Bring fresh flowers into your environment.

• Write down a few things you are grateful for every day.

• Cry when you have to but remember to laugh too.

Everybody’s life will suck at one time or another but we all tend to find our equilibrium.

Kathy Sussell is an ADHD coach in Brooklyn, NY. She helps teens, college students and adults with ADHD with time management, planning and prioritizing, getting started with and finishing tasks, organizing paper and objects and improving social skills. She is the organizer of the ADHD Women’s Meetup Group that meets every month in downtown Brooklyn. For more information visit her website: www.bravolifecoaching.com or email Kathy at kathy@bravolifecoaching.com

Great reminder for resilience. One of my favorite travel memories was of a street performer singing that song. He must have been around 10 years old and sang that one line of that song over and over and over.